Electric furnace



April 12, 1%)27.

A. D. KEENE ELECTRIC FURNACE Filed April 2,

ENVENTUR Aivin D. Keene WITNESSES:

K-HTTO N EY Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

ALVIN D. KEENE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSEELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC Application filed April 2,

My invention relates to electric furnaces and particularly to means forand methods of supporting electric resistor units in elec-" tricfurnaces.

One object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple andpractical means for supporting an electric resistor unit in an electricfurnace.

Another object is to provide an electric resistor unit constructed to beremovable from, and supported by, the walls of an electric furnace andgravitationally locked thereto.

Other objects will appear from the description' of the invention.

In practicing my invention; I provide an electric resistance element ofany well known structure supported by a plurality of refractor membersto comprise an electric resistor unit. The resistor unit is supported bythe wall of an electric furnace of any well vknown structure by means ofresistor unit supporting members in such manner that the resistor unitsupporting members are gravitationally locked to said walls andremovable therefrom. By means of this structure, I provide a simple andpractical means for supporting an electric resistor unit that may bereadily installed and removed to permit re airs to be made.

n the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical elevational view, partially in lateral section,of a structure embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 1s a side elevational view of a refractory resistor unitsupporting member employed in my invention;

I ig. *3 is a top plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 2; 1

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view, partly in section and partly brokenaway, of 'another embodiment of my invention, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View of another embodiment of a refractoryresistor unit supporting member that may be employed in my invention.

A plurality of refractory furnace walls 11 enclose a furnace chamber 12.An electric resistance element 13 comprises a plurality of return-bentconvolutions maintained in spaced relation by a plurality of verticallyextending grooved refractory nu-mbers 14. A plurality of refractorymembers 15 are FURNACE.

1924. Serial No. 703,670.

supported by the walls of the furnace and support the refractoryresistance-elementsupporting members 14, said members with the electricresistance element comprising a resistor unit that is mounted on theretractory resistor unit supporting members-l5 in a manner which ishereinafter more fully described.

' The resistor supporting members 15 comprise an inner portion 16 ofsubstantially arcuate shape, interfitting with a chamber 17 in thefurnace wall, and an outer portion 18 of substantially T-shape thatextends into the furnace chamber. The portion of areaate form is soshaped and located relativelv to the face of the furnace wall that theceliter of curvature is above the member in a vertical plane locatedwithin the fur-naive wall. By so locating the center of curvature, themember can be removed only by an upwardly and outwardly directed forceand isconsequently locked in operative position by gravitational force.The radius of ourvature may vary from the smallest practical dimensionto an infinite length in which event, the inner portion is locatedangu-larly and downwardly relatively to the outer portion. The T-shapedportion 18 of the resistor unit supporting'members are perforated at 19to provide for the insertion of refractory in members 21 that haveportions exten ing beyond both the upper and the lower surfaces of saidresistor unit supporting members toretain the members 14 in position.

In Fig. 5, I have shown another embodiment of a resistor unit supportingmember 22, the inter-fitting portion of which comprises substantially asegment of a sphere and the portions extending into the furnace chamberbeing of substantially straight when mounted upon the walls of the furnace as hereinbefore described are gravitationally locked thereto andare removable in an arcuate path laterally therefrom.

In mounting the resistor unit, the resistance element 13 may beassembled with the grooved refractory members 14 and placed in operativeposition with respect to the unit supporting members 15 by a lateralmovement relatively thereto. The refractory pin shaped members 21 may beinserted into the perforations 19"to lock the refractory members 14 inoperating position, thereby preventing any lateral movement of saidmembers'that may tend to occur by reason of the expansion andcontraction of the resistance element 13 through the alternate heatingand cooling incidental to the operation of the furnace.

It is obvious that my invention provides a relatively simple andpractical structure. The resistor unit is readily mounted, and, in caseof burn-outs or other incidents inthe operation of the furnacenecessitating re placement of resistor units, my invention providessimple means for enmitting the removal of the used unit and theinsertion of a new unit.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my inventionwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire thatonly such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by theprior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric furnace, the combination with a wall having an openintherein, of a resis or-unit-supporting member having a portionprojecting'loosely into said openmg, supported by said wall andremovable laterally therefrom by an upward arcuate movement.-

2. In an electric furnace, the combination with a wall, of a pluralityof resistor-supporting members extending into and supported by saidwall, removable laterally therefrom in an upwardly arcuate path andgravitationally locked thereto.

3. In an electric furnace, the combination with a plurality ofrefractory walls enclos ing a furnace chamber and a resistor unit havinga plurality of vertically-extending refractory members, of a pluralityof refractory resistor-unit-supporting members gravitationally locked tosaid walls, and means engaging said supporting members for preventinglateral movement of said verticallyextending refractory members withrespect thereto.

4. In an electric furnace. the combinatio with a plurality of refractorywalls enclosing a furnace chamber and a resistor unit having a pluralityof vertically-extending refractory members, of a plurality ofrefracrefractory members, of a plurality of refractoryresistor-unit-supportmg members gravitationally locked to and removablelaterally from said walls, and having means for preventin lateralmovement of said verticallyextending refractory members with respectthereto. i

6. In an electric furnace, the combination with a wall for a furnacechamber, of a refractory resistor-unit-supporting member engaged by saidwall in sup orting relation,

the wall-engaging end of said member being of substantially arcuate shaa 7. In an electric furnace, t e combination with a plurality ofrefractory walls enclosing a furnace chamber, of a plurality ofrefractory resistor-unit-supporting members engaged by said walls insupporting relation, the wall engaging port-ions of said members 'beingof substantially arcuate shape and removable from their normal operatingtion relatively to said walls in a substantially arcuate path.

8. In an electric furnace, the combination with a lurality of refractorywalls enclosing a urnace chamber, of a plurality of refractoryresistor-unit-snpportin members having a portion of substantial yarcuate shape engaging said walls in supporting relation and anotherportion of substantiall T shape extending into the furnace chain r, saidmembersbeing removable from their normal operating position relativelyto said walls in a substantially arcuate path.

9. In an electric furnace, the oombina 'on with a wall for a furnacechamber, of a efractory resistor-unit-snpporting member extending intoand supported by said wall and removable laterally and upwardly in anarcuate path therefrom.

10. In an electric furnace, the combination with a plurality ofrefractory walls enclosing a furnace chamber, of. a plurality ofrefractory resistor-unitsupporting members engaged by said walls insupportm relation, the wall engaging ortions of sai members being ofsubstantia 1y areuate shape and removable from their normal operativeposition relatively to said -walls in a substantially upwardly extendingarcuate path.

11. In an electric furnace, the combination witha plurality ofrefractory walls enclosing a furnace chamber, of aheating-unitsupporting member engaged by one of said walls in supportingrelation, an outer rtion of said member being located in the chamber andan inner portion located in the wall and extendin; angular-1y downwardlyrelatively to said outer portion.

12. In an eleetrie furnace. in combination, a refractory wall having anopening therein, and a resistor-sir )porting member having a portionfitting loosely into said opening. the weight of a resistor supportedthereby tending to lock the supporting member in proper 10 operativeposition in said opening.

15}. In an electric furnace in coliibination,

a refractory wall having an opening therein and a resistor-supportingmember having a portion fitting loosely into said opening to support themember, the member being removable from said Wall by a movementlongitudinally thereof in other than a straight line motion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subsrribed my name this 24th dayof March, 2

ALVIN D. KEEN E.

